Fu's Johto Journal
by Fu0005
Summary: Hi, I'm Fu! I'm journaling my adventure across Johto as a pokémon trainer. I hope you'll join me on this journey! The events in this story are inspired by a playthrough of Pokémon Crystal Clear, a romhack of Pokémon Crystal for Game Boy Color.
1. Ch01: One Step at a Time

Hello, and welcome to Fu's Johto Journal. I'm Fu! Today marked the beginning of my journey through Johto as a pokémon trainer. I'm a native of New Bark Town, and I live nearby Prof. Elm's lab.

Everything started as soon as I stepped foot outside my house. My face felt the warmth of the sun, filling me with energy to move ahead. As I looked up to the blue sky, my hand reached for the pokéball on my hip. The power of my very own pokémon, given to me by my late father, was inside. I knew I could take on anything with my partner by my side.

With that thought burning a passionate force in my head, I stepped forward to begin my journey. One foot in front of the other, I walked through town to get one last look at everything before heading out. I thought about stopping in to see Prof. Elm, but I decided against it. He tends to talk a lot, and I didn't want to start my day listening to him drone on about the Pokédex and research and all that.

I passed by the lab and started down Route 29. The familiar trees I played in when I was younger quickly turned into the unknown. I turned back to see New Bark disappear behind a bend when I realized - this was my first time leaving New Bark Town.

I mean, my family had taken a cruise on the S.S. Anne when I was young. But it docked just south of my hometown, so we had barely left. I had effectively spent my entire life in within the borders of New Bark. Thisbwas a big step for me - for my life. This was a huge adventure that I was taking on my own, with nobody to rely on but myself. And then the doubts came cascading down on me.

 _Did I forget anything?_

 _Where will I go from here?_

 _Will I make it in the real world?_

 _Can a bumpkin like me become a great pokémon trainer?_

As the thoughts rushed through my head, I found myself gripping the pokéball hanging from my belt, my knuckles white. I pictured the power contained inside and managed to slow my racing heart. I can't get overwhelmed, I told myself. I have to take each step one at a time. If I can't do that, I'll never leave New Bark Town. So, the first step is find out what I forgot.

I removed my pack, set it on the ground and began going through each pocket. If I forgot anything at home, now was the time to find out. I started in the small item pocket. It was mostly empty, except for the Potion my mom had given me. I'll need that if I ever get in a pinch.

Next, the ball pocket on the front. There were 5 pokéballs inside. Mom must have snuck those in as a present, because I sure didn't have the money for them. Nevertheless, a trainer can't succeed with just a single pokémon! Thanks, Mom!

The small TM pocket was empty, of course, and the main compartment, which I dubbed the key item pocket, was empty as well. Only the most important things would go in there.

Okay. Five pokéballs and one potion - not a lot, but not bad for the start of my journey. After the inventory check, I checked my PokéGear. I knew I hadn't forgotten anything, but I still didn't know where I was going. A journey like this doesn't have much of a destination at this point, but having an idea where I was headed would give me some sense of security. I pulled up the map and saw a little figure representing my current location right next to where New Bark sat on the map.

The cursor surrounded my location by default and filled out **ROUTE 29** above the map. I followed the route that led out of New Bark to a fork. Just west of town, Route 29 diverted north into the mountains and turned into Route 46. If I chose to follow that, it would take me along to Route 45, then being me to Blackthorn City. However, staying on Route 29 to the west led to Cherrygrove City.

Having to choose a path started to get my anxiety going again. I stared at the screen of my PokéGear until my vision blurred. The lines and colors of the map faded to a white blur. Then, almost like foresight the white turned into the faint image of a mountain. The mountain was tall and magnificent. It's beauty bathed in the sunlight. It almost seemed real - because it _was_ real. I was staring at the reflection on my PokéGear's screen. I turned and looked above the treetops to see the peak of Dragon's Den Mountain filling the sky. My heart warmed with excitement and a bright smile of determination flashed across my face.

Route 46 it is.


	2. Ch02: The Power that's Inside

I ran along Route 29 until it turned into true wilderness. The grass around the path got taller and taller. It was so thick that you could hardly see through it, and it moved with the breeze ocean waves. It reminded me of my family's vacation on the S.S. Anne.

I remember standing on the edge of the ship's deck on a clear, sunny day, staring out into the dark blue ocean when I noticed a shadow beneath the surface. It wasn't easy to see, not because it was faint or small, quite the opposite, really. In fact, the shadow was at least as big as the ship itself - maybe bigger! I stood frozen in fear, watching the shadow move slowly under the surface. It had huge wings like a bird, but it's body was big and round like a sentret's tail. Eventually, it faded away into the deep and I was able to move again.

The tall grass caused a shudder to run down my spine. What could be in there?

Well, there was only one way to find out. I gripped the pokéball on my belt, swallowed my fear and stepped into the grass. I was a pokémon trainer now, I couldn't be afraid of some grass!

The leafy blades reached up past my waist as I waded through the foliage. I stepped slowly and carefully, paying the utmost attention to my surroundings.

Suddenly, there was a rustle nearby. I turned toward the direction of the sound, my hand still on my pokéball. I squinted and peered through the grass trying to make anything out. Then I saw it. A long, round shadow with wings like a bird. My stomach dropped. My palms went wet and clammy. How was was I seeing this again? How could it be here?

It moved and the grass shook around it. A gust of wind pushed back the grass round it as it leapt up out of the grass. I ripped my pokéball from my belt and threw it into the sky.

"GO, RAE!"

A flash of light burst from the pokéball as the power was released from inside. Like red lightning, the power crackled to the ground. I caught the now empty pokéball and watched as the power took form.

Rae, the tyrogue my late father gave me, stood before my the grass clearing. His eyes shot upward toward our foe as it dove toward him in a tackle, letting out it's cry.

"Piipipi!"

It was a pidgey! The small bird pokémon launched itself at Rae, but missed. I called out to Rae for his counterattack.

"Rae, use Mach Punch!"

Rae flashed his eyes my way and gave a quick nod before squaring up with the pidgey again. In a flash, he braced in a low stance and darted toward the wild pokémon. Rae's fist shot forward and connected hard on the pidgey's body.

"All right! Way to go, dude!" I shouted our success toward the battle. "Hit it again with another Mach Punch!"

Once more, Rae launched himself forward and socked the bird in the gut. This time, the wild pidgey backed off and then charged in for another tackle. Rae couldn't avoid this one, and took a direct hit. He did his best to absorb the blow, but it was clear that some damage was done.

I looked at the enemy pidgey and could see it was much worse for wear. We could win it with one more hit. I called again to Rae.

"One last time! MACH PUNCH!"

In a flurry of lightning fast movement, Rae released another jab at the wild pokémon and sealed the deal. The pidgey dropped out of the air and hit the ground in a heap. A solid KO. It quickly recovered and bounced away on it's feet into the trees.

I was overjoyed. I couldn't believe it. I'd come out of my first encounter victorious. I was a real pokémon trainer!

"We did it, Rae!" I exclaimed. I ran to Rae and threw a hard punch toward him. He jabbed right back and our fists cracked together with a loud snap.

" _Yowch!_ " I yelled. "Maybe we should practice our fist bumps a little more..." I said sheepishly.


	3. Ch03: White Out!

With my chin held almost as high as my newfound confidence, I continued along Route 29 toward Route 46. Every few steps, I glanced down at the pokéball that contained Rae and smiled. We were on our way to greatness. Nothing could stop us.

After a small bit of walking, we arrived at the Route Interchange Office and went inside. The office attendant gave us his greetings as we entered. There was a young guy in a tank top loitering in the office as well. He looked like a fellow trainer, so I gave him a nod to say hello. He apparently was looking for someone to talk to, because he immediately started going on about catching pokémon in the area.

"Different kinds of pokémon appear past here. If you want to catch them all, you have to look everywhere," he said, unsolicited.

"Oh... Okay," I replied with a shy smile. I quickly distanced myself from him and exited the office on the opposite side. He seemed to have more to say, but I couldn't spare the time. I wasn't about to come off my high talking to some know it all.

Outside the office was a small sign that read

 **ROUTE 46 - MOUNTAIN RD. AHEAD**

I looked up toward the mountain's peak and felt the excitement flare up inside me again. I can actually do this. Right here, right now.

The mountain road was a rough one. There road was covered in the same tall grass that edged Route 29. But this time I wasn't afraid to step into the sea of grass, and I walked onward with confidence. I only made it a few steps into the grass before a familiar gust of wind announced another wild pokémon. It flapped it's wings and hovered above the grass. Another pidgey.

No, wait, this one was different. It had a sharper beak and a wilder plume of feathers. I pulled out my Pokédex, a gift Prof. Elm had given me a few days ago in anticipation of my journey. I pointed the Pokédex lens at the bird and the device identified it as a spearow. No other information was available. Prof. Elm must not have uploaded any data to the Pokédex before he gave it to me.

Data or no data, I knew I could handle it. The pidgey went down without much trouble. This wouldn't be any different.

"Go, Rae! Round two, dude!"

Rae materialized from the power held inside the pokéball and stood at the ready in front of the wild spearow. I could see the scuff on his shoulder from our last encounter. I made a not to patch that up with my potion after the battle. It would be fine for now though.

"Spii! Spii!"

The spearow let out a battle cry to coax us on. It was enough for me.

"Rae! Let's go - Mach Punch!"

Rae threw a hard swing at the bird and connected on the wing. The spearow flapped off the pain and launched into a hard tackle, landing hard onto Rae, beak-first. They squared up again, ready for the next attacks. I called to Rae for another Mach Punch, but this time he missed! The spearow was able to just narrowly avoid the hit. Rae didn't look happy about that, and the follow up tackle didn't make him any happier.

"Don't worry, Rae, let's throw another Mach Punch!" This time the blow connected, but the spearow took it easily. Somehow I didn't notice that the battle was shifting into the wild bird's favor. And before I knew it, the spearow's next tackle left Rae lying on his back, out cold.

I couldn't tell you what happened after that. It's all just a blur to me. I ended up back at my mom's house and took a long rest to recover, both for my sake and for Rae's. For an entire day, I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling while my mom's Pokémon Recovery Unit hummed in the corner. It was an old device from a PokéCenter that was given to my dad. He and professor Elm used to be colleagues, so we have random junk like that laying around all over the place. But since it's old, it takes a while to get the pokémon back to perfect health.

So, I went through all my emotions while I waited. I was embarrassed to have to come back home to Mom so soon after I left. I was angry that I let myself get overconfident. I was frustrated that my confidence was misplaced. However, much like the old Recovery Unit, I just needed time to heal, and by the time Rae was ready to go, so was I.


	4. Ch04: A Challenger Approaches

I stepped out of my mom's house not ashamed, but with a vengeance. Rae and I wouldn't fall again so easily. I just needed to fight smarter, not allow myself to make simple mistakes. And most of all, keep Rae's condition at the top of my mind.

I set back out into Route 29 again, passed through the Route Interchange Office, and was back on Route 46 in no time flat. I charged into the tall grass and surprisingly encountered not a single wild pokémon. Back on the beaten path, I noticed a capsule on the edge of the route. It looked like a pokéball, but when I picked it up I noticed a rattle coming from inside.

I cracked it open to find an X SPEED enhancer. Prof. Elm had mentioned these to me before. They're like vitamins for your pokémon, but the beneficial effects wear off after the battle ends. He went into a _lot_ of detail about how they function, but I couldn't be bothered to listen. I stashed the lucky find in my pack's item pocket and headed back onto the main path.

"Hey!" Someone yelled. It was a girl's voice. "Will you battle with me? My name's Erin!" Without so much as a second to respond, the girl, Erin, tossed a pokéball from her belt and a small white horse materialized in front of her. A ponyta - a fire type pokémon.

"Hold on, I-"

I tried to call off the battle, but as I spoke, the flames of Ponyta's mane and tail roared to silence me. I didn't understand what was happening. This was my first trainer battle and I haven't had a chance to even think, yet here is this burning horse standing in front of me. I looked at the trainer, Erin, my eyes pleading for a break. But her eyes glowed with a fiery determination as bright as her pokémon's flames. She wouldn't listen. I guess there's no reasoning with a trainer in the midst of battle.

"Fine!" I yelled. Erin's eyes burned brighter at my declaration and her ponyta's flames followed suit. "I guess there's no choice. Rae, go get 'em!"

Another battle so soon after my first failure. I looked at the stage set before me - Rae, standing at the ready, fists clenched, prepared to throw as many Mach Punches as I command. And in front of him, Erin and her ponyta, both blazing with a passion for this contest of trainer verses trainer. This is what I'm here for, I reminded myself. This was my goal.

I clenched my fists, placing my trust in Rae, just as he did me, and called out to him.

"Mach Punch!"

Rae connected a solid jab on Ponyta's neck. A critical hit! The flaming horse reeled and recovered as Erin called out to it. "Ponyta, use Growl!"

A deep, loud neigh echoed from it's mouth, causing Rae to stiffen in reaction to the vocal assault. We had to attack again. I ordered another Mach Punch from Rae. He threw a body shot. It was considerably weaker than before. As he retreated a few steps back, I could tell his muscles hadn't relaxed from the Growl, he wouldn't be able to put as much strength into his hits as a result. Dang! Erin was smart.

As I was cursing her tactics, she had her ponyta bellow another Growl. Again, Rae tensed up from the sound. I tried our luck with another Mach Punch. Once more, the hit landed, but it was weaker still. This wouldn't do. As Erin's ponyta executed a solid Tackle against Rae, I began to sweat. Erin was really bringing the heat. Her expression hadn't changed since she laid eyes on me. Her fire only grew brighter, and I admired her for that. Her passion was honest and true, and because of that, I decided to give it my all. No fear of failure, just eyes on the prize.

It was time to change things up. I called out to Rae.

"Rae! Let's try something new. Time for the High Jump Kick!"

Rae didn't hesitate for a moment. He launched off the ground, soaring above Erin and her pokémon. At the apex of the jump, Rae shot out his leg, the force propelling himself down, fast toward Ponyta. The kick landed solidly on the horse's back, and it stumbled to it's knees, the flames on it's body reducing to mere smolders. KO.

"Tch!" Erin clicked her tongue. "Ponyta, that's enough, come back." The powerful red beam of energy shot from her pokéball to the unconscious ponyta and it fizzled back into the ball. She reached to her belt and grabbed the second of the three hanging there, and I realized this would be a long fight.

"Go, Pikachu!"

A large yellow mouse with rosy, sparking cheeks entered the battlefield.

"Pi-KAAA!"

Bolts if electricity fizzled on it's cheeks as it prepared for battle. The sparks, like Ponyta's flames, glowed fierce like Erin's eyes.

"Okay, Rae, hit it with a Mach Punch!"

In response to my call, Rae charged forward to the yellow rodent and slammed his fist into it's poor yellow face. Another critical hit! This pikachu was clearly weaker than Erin's ponyta. Even for a critical hit, the pokémon already seemed to be on the verge of fainting.

"Pikachu, you've got this! Hang in there, and show me a Thunderbolt!"

Erin's words were like Super Potion as they hit Pikachu's ling pointy ears. He snapped back to attention and his cheeks flashed a bright red before two huge bolts of lightning erupted from them. The electricity zipped through the air, finally connecting with Rae. His stiff muscles contracted sharply, contorting his slim purple body in strange directions.

When the electricity faded, I saw Rae down on a knee. His movement stuttered as the static continued to discharge from his body, but he returned to his feet soon enough, back in fighting stance. I smirked. We aren't a couple of pushovers. This is OUR battle.

"Finish it off!" I yelled. "Rae, Mach Punch!"

The pikachu fell in a heap after Rae's fist landed squarely on it's side. Erin returned the electric mouse to it's pokéball and readied her last partner. She threw her final pokéball into the air and shouted, "Ponyta, you're up!"

Another ponyta? I had never considered having two of the same pokémon in your team, but I guess every trainer is different. This horse's flames burned as bright as the first. It stood in front of Rae and dig it's hoof into the dirt. All we had to do was defeat this beast and victory was ours. We were so close now.

"Rae, do it! High Jump Kick!" I yelled. At the same time, Erin shouted, "Ponyta, Tackle it!"

This ponyta was fast. Much faster than the other Pokemon I had seen so far. It charged at Rae and trampled him before he could react.

The next thing I knew, I was laying face up on my bed. The soft hum of the Pokémon Recovery Unit buzzing in the corner. "Dang," I thought. "Lost again."


	5. Ch05: Fighting Fit

The pressure of being a pokémon trainer weighed heavier than ever as I stepped, for the third time, out of my mom's house. My anxieties and fear of true failure haunted my mind. I looked down at the pokéball attached to my belt, then removed it an held it in my hand. It was heavier than an empty pokéball. Not by much, but I could tell the slight difference. Rae, my tyrogue, filled the ball with his power, and gave it this heft.

I worried that his weight was too much for me to carry. I couldn't bear letting him down again. _What kind of trainer loses twice so soon after starting their adventure?_ I couldn't help but as myself. And my answer wasn't kind. _Only a sorry excuse for a trainer loses like this. Pathetic. Maybe try actually training if you're going to call yourself a trainer!_

Wait, that was it. I suddenly realized it.

I was trying to be a pokémon trainer. But hadn't actually spent any time _training_ my pokémon. Of course I was losing! Rae had barely grown at all since we started off a couple days ago. There was no way we could take on a trainer like Erin without more practice.

I needed a game plan. I thought back to my first success, just after I left New Bark Town. Rae had no troubles against the wild Pidgey we encountered on Route 29, so maybe if we fought more of those, Rae would grow stronger. It was worth a shot.

I set off again down the path surrounded by familiar trees of my childhood, toward Route 29. I found a patch of tall grass and waded into the brush. For the rest of the afternoon, I spent my time battling wild pokémon there. Pidgeys and the occasional ratatta fell to Rae's wicked Mach Punch. I even found a Potion behind another patch of grass that was nearby!

After a number of victories against pokémon hiding beneath the sea of grass, I was feeling a new wave of confidence. Not like last time though. This was more of a feeling of security. I was heading in the right direction. Rae, however, was looking a little rough. Despite our victories, he had taken more than a few hits. I even had to use a potion on him at one point. Since I found another Potion earlier, I still had one to use, but I didn't want to waste it. After all, I could just head back to mom's place and use the Pokémon Recovery Unit there.

 _No, I can't go running back home every time I run into a problem! My adventure is supposed to take me away from home, not back to it every day!_ I looked around to see if there was anyone who might be willing to help. I had run into a few folks out for a stroll on Route 29 while I was training - maybe one could spare me another Potion. But there wasn't anyone to be seen.

Instead, there was a small sign, like the one on Route 46. It read

 **ROUTE 29** **CHERRYGROVE CITY - NEW BARK TOWN**

Cherrygrove City! It had to be just further down the path, since it was named first on the sign. I realized I had wandered further than I thought. But that was okay, because Cherrygrove would have a Pokémon Center, and they could heal up Rae for free!

The trip to Cherrygrove City was a short one from there. It was only a few minutes down the path. Once I entered the city, the first building I saw was the Pokémon Center. I took off at a run to the door. Inside, the nurse greeted me kindly.

"Hello, welcome to our Pokémon Center! We can heal your pokémon to perfect health. Shall we heal your pokémon?"

"Please!" I replied enthusiastically. "I really appreciate it!"

The nurse smiled warmly. She sure was pretty. I don't think I had ever seen anyone as pretty as her. "Not a problem at all! May I see your pokémon?"

"Oh, yes, of course," I said as I fumbled with the pokéball on my belt. "Here you go..." I handed it over to her.

She took my pokéball and placed it onto a machine that looked similar to the Pokémon Recovery Unit mom had at home. A picture of a tyrogue appeared on the screen attached to it.

"Oh, wow, a Tyrogue!" The nurse said enthusiastically. "Fighting types are always very impressive pokémon." She smiled again and I felt my cheeks warm.

"Uh, thanks..." I said. My eyes were glued to the floor. "His name's Rae. My dad gave him to me when I was younger."

The machine chimed and I watched the stunning nurse retrieve my pokéball and hold it out to me. I carefully took it from her, making sure not to accidentally brush my fingers against hers. I couldn't handle that kind if embarrassment.

"Well, you take good care of Rae," she said to me. "I'm sure t's what your dad would want. Please come back anytime Rae needs to heal up!" Her bright, warm smile was beaming. "We hope to see you again!"

I thanked the nurse and stepped out of the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center. I would definitely return, even if it was just to see her! In the meantime, I had a rematch to attend to.

I headed straight back to the Route Interchange Office on Route 29 and carried on North to Route 46. Through the tall grass, I found my opponent. Her eyes were still shining bright. Brighter even than that nurse's smile.

"Erin!" I yelled. She locked her fiery eyes with mine and reached to the pokéballs on her hip. "How about a rematch?"


	6. Ch06: Fair and Square

"GO, Ponyta!"

Erin released her first pokémon to the battlefield. It reared on to it's hind legs and kicked at the air in front of it. I sent out Rae in response.

"You can do it, buddy! We prepared for this!"

Rae turned back to look in my direction and flashed me a quick thumbs up. His bicep flexed and I noticed how much he had really grown just from our training in the morning. His previously scrawny build had filled out to be toned and strong. We can really do this, I thought.

Erin and I shouted instructions to our pokémon who traded blows back and forth. I kept an eye on Rae's condition, just in case he needed a Potion to get him back into fighting shape. Rae took down her ponyta with a few well placed Mach Punches, and didn't seem to be feeling too much from the few Tackles it had dished out.

"You've been training!" She called to me. "I can tell."

"Rae's a lot stronger now," I said in response.

"Not _him!_ " She said. " _You!_ Your eyes are different. Those are the eyes of a _winner_." She furrowed her brow and smiled a toothy grin. "Don't worry though. I got eyes like that too, and there can't be two winners here!" With that, she released her second pokémon, the pikachu again.

I remembered from last time this pokémon wasn't as strong as her ponyta. Rae's hard hitting punches would be devastating enough, but maybe we could take it down in just one hit? I called out to Rae.

"What do you think, Rae? Can we pull off a one hit wonder? Let's try a High Jump Kick!"

Rae flashed his thumbs up once more before shooting into the air above Erin's pikachu. His foot kicked out, with his heel pointed right at the yellow sparking mouse. He decended like an arrow towards the opponent, but at the last moment, right before the hit landed, the pikachu dodged out of the way.

With a thud, Rae hit the ground hard and tumbled across the battlefield. Erin didn't waste time with the counter.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

Lightning from Pikachu's cheeks struck Rae's body while he was vulnerable. It didn't look critical, but Rae clearly was hurting. I ran over to him and pulled the last Potion from my pack. As I sprayed the healing salve over Rae's purple skin, Erin spoke up.

"Like I said before, there can't be two winners, dude! You're going to have to do better than that if it's going to be you!" She let out a loud laugh.

The Potion ran out and I looked Rae in the eyes.

"You okay, buddy?"

"Ro!" He grunted and gave me a strong thumbs up, then he was back on his feet and ready to roll.

"The two of you good over there?" Erin yelled to us. "Because I have a battle to win here, and you're holding me up!"

"Ro! Rorogue!" Rae grunted loudly in response to Erin's taunting.

"About time!" she said. "Pikachu, time for a quick attack!"

"Piiii _ka_!" Suddenly, Pikachu zipped toward Rae, almost faster than you could see. It swiped at Rae as it dashed past him. The hit was clean, but thanks to Rae's now solid body, he didn't seem to be fased by it. The pikachu was quickly circling back around to it's position on the field when I called out to Rae.

"Wait until it's almost there...! And High Jump Kick!"

A small cloud of dust puffed up from the ground as Rae took off. Erin's pikachu was planting it's feet to prepare for it's next attack when the purple heel of Rae's foot planted into it's back.

" _Chaaa_...!" The pikachu whimpered from the impact. Rae bounced off the mouse and landed back into position. It worked! We got a one hit KO, despite our previous failed attempt.

"Not bad," Erin said as she returned her pikachu to it's pokéball. "But it's not over yet. Ponyta, burn them to a crisp!"

This was it. We came this far before and lost, but this time we were stronger. Rae stood at the ready, waiting for my instruction. I saw him standing strong, facing off with Erin's second ponyta, not weighed down by the last two fights. That's when I knew we could win.

The battle from that point on seemed to play out in slow motion, but somehow it was over before I realized it. Rae threw Mach Punch after Mach Punch, all solid hits to the ponyta's body, while taking blows from the opponents Tackles.

When the battle was over, Erin's eyes glowed brighter than I had seen before. After our pokémon returned to their pokéballs, she came over and started talking to me, but I couldn't hear what she was saying. It was like I was underwater. Slowly her words began to reach my ears.

"Hello, you in there? I said congratulations."

"Wha- huh?"

"You did well! The way you adapted to Pikachu's speed and landed that knock out hit was really impressive! And after that miss, you didn't try for another kick, because you couldn't take the damage if you missed. Smart move."

"Thanks..."

"It really made me angry to lose. But now I have a reason to work harder and get better," Erin tapped her PokéGear against mine and I heard a small chime. "Here's my number - don't hesitate to call if you want another rematch. And congrats again! You won fair and square!"

I won. I won...

I WON!


End file.
